Air cleaner



Sept. 24, 1935. H. B. ANGLEMYER AIR CLEANER Filed Feb. 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. fimMfl/v 5. fin/64 [M rm ATTORNEYS.

p H. B. ANGLEMYER 2,015,174

AIR CLEANER Filed Feb. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v r il 1' umu n ,1.

WIHI-I' HI ll ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR. CLEANER Herman B. Anglemyer, Detroit, Mich. I Application February 9, 1934, Serial No. 710,427

15 Claims. (Cl. 183-15) This invention relates to an air cleaner for dirt, dust, and the like from a moving stream of air. The invention is concerned particularly with anair cleaner adapted to be used with internal combustion engines.

The invention is, concerned with a cleaner of the type wherein the air is washed with a fluid such as oil and which utilizes a filtering body such as crimped wire or metal wool or the like, it being the aim of the invention to provide a cleaner of simplified simple structure, yet one which has a high efficiency. The arrangement is preferably such that the washing fluid plugs or seals the main passageway for thestream of air through the cleaner when in a. static condition, and the invention provides an improved structure wherein the relatively small amount of air required by an engine when it is idling may have a free path through the cleaner without breaking the liquid plug or seal, to the end that a nicety of engine operation is obtained at idling speeds, and so that the oil seal or plug does not efiect a choking action.

Much of the subject matter in this application is contained in application Serial No. 510,878, filed January 24, 1931, and the present application is related to the older one in that claims are included herein which are supported by the older application. The present application, however, shows a more commercial development of the invention and contains some claims to this development. v

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a cleaner constructed in accordance with the invention, illustrating the condition of the oil when the cleaner is not functioning.

Fig. 2 is a similaa sectional view illustrating the action which takes place when the cleaner is functioning. v

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the cleaner showing how the removable sump may be attached to the cleaner.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken at right angles to the views of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional ,view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1.

The cleaner may comprise a casing advantageously made of an upper portion l, and a lower sump portion 2, which may have a telescoping fit with the portion I. The portion'l may be provided with headed studs 3,.from which links 4 are swung and which have threaded ends for reception of wing nuts 5, adapted to hold a supporting cross bar 6 against the bottom of the sump 2 and thus retain the same in position. The cross bar may be slotted as at I for the reception of the links 4 so that the wing nuts may be loosened and the cross bar removed to permit removal of the sump 2.

A cover l0 may fit over the upper end of the portion I and it may have an outlet opening H therein, as shown, in alignment with an outlet or conduit member l2 for conducting cleansed air to the engine. A ring member l3 havinga plu- 10 rality of threaded apertures may be disposed underneath the cap II and cap screws It may be passed through a flange on the outlet member I2 and threaded into the apertures in the ring member. For the purpose of mounting the cleaner, it may be equipped with internally threaded bushings l5. The filtering body may be disposed in the portion I so that it is above the oil in the lower portion of the cleaner, this filtering body being shown at 20, preferably confined between a screen 2| and a screen 22. This filtering body may be termed a condenser. The sump is adapted to contain the washing fluid which may be oil, the normal level of which when the device is not functioning being substantially shown in Fig. 1,

* the oil being illustrated at 23.

Means are provided for defining an air passageway through which the air is drawn, and the,

passageway is so arranged that the oil is agitated or subjected to a churning action, as one of the factors in the cleaning of the air. To this end the portion I may have an air inlet aperture through one of its side walls, as illustrated at 25; a guard 26 which may be open on opposite sides may be positioned over this inlet aperture, one function of which is to provide a guarding action in the event of back fire from the engine. This guard may be fastened to the portion l by bolts 21. The air passageway may consist of a sheet metal member 30, one end of which may be fastened by one of the bolts 21 and which extends down into the sump 2, thus having a downwardly extending portion 3| and an upwardly extending curve having an upwardly extending portion 36 terminating in spaced relation with respect to the part 34. This member 35 may have angularly fashioned wings 31 and 38 arranged to be secured to the portion l as by means of spot welding or the like.

The members 30 and 35 may extend transversely across the casing so that their edges substantially abut against opposite side walls thereof, with the result that the casing side walls define opposite sides of the passageway. Accordingly, it will be noted that a passageway is provided which may be termed generally of U shape. The normal level of the liquid is preferably such as to be above the return bend of the member 35, with the result that normally the oil fills the bight portion of the passageway. In other words, it may be said that the bight portion of the U-shaped passageway is submerged in the oil. The lower portion of the passageway may be provided with one or more openings or slots 40 for the entrance of oil into the passageway, although the oil may enter the passageway by leaking into the same between the edges of the members 30 and 35 and the casing side walls, since a liquid-tight joint may not necessarily be had. The member 30 may have small fianges 4| at its edges for making substantial contact with the side walls of the sump 2. The passageway may have another aperture 42 advantageously arranged, with an overhanging lip 43, which structure may be provided by merely striking out the lip 43, the arrangement being such that air passing therethrough is directed downwardly into the space 44 between the two i arms of the member 35, and which space normally has a quantity of oil therein. Advantageously, the screen 22 may rest upon the passageway member 35 near the inlet and upon the upper curved portion of the member 30, and the arrangement may be such that the screen is angularly disposed, as shown.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the engine is not operating and air is not being drawn through the device, the liquid level preferably is as substantially shown in Fig. 1, filling the bight of the U-shaped passageway. When the engine is idling at the normally low idling speed, the fiow of air may not be suflicient to break the liquid seal in the U-shaped passageway, as suflicient air may pass through the aperture or by-pass 42. This air is directed downwardly toward the quantity of oil in the space 44 and agitates the same, with the result that the oil is mixed with the air, and the dust and dirt particles therein are moistened by the oil, and then the air is drawn upwardly into the filtering medium and may pass into the same by entering the portion generally marked A. The oil and air are separated and the oil may drain back into the sump through the portion 3" as will be described in more detail below.

When the engine is accelerated the depression in the outlet fixture is greater and the rate of fiow increases, and the air then breaks the oil seal in the U-shaped passageway. The air subjects the oil to turbulence or a churning action and carries some of the oil upwardly through' the U-shaped passageway, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and as the oil is carried upwardly and out of the passageway it is replaced by oil flowing through the aperture 40. Some oil may flow into the passageway by passing between the side walls and the edges of the members 30 and 35. As the air and oil carried thereby approaches the upper portion of the inside limb of the U the stream of oil and air is caused to take a bend slightly more than 90 by the curved upper portion of the part 34, and at this point some of the oil is carried out of the passageway.

This upper portion of the uptake leg of the U 5 and its outlet below the filter form an air washing chamber, the oil catching the dirt and separating it from the air. Then the air and oil stream again takes a turn of about 90 and passes into the filtering medium in that portion thereof marked A. As the stream is caused to take. the bend by reason of the part 34, some of the oil is directed downwardly into the space 44 to thus wash the air passing through the idling aperture 42, as it will be appreciated that in the normal action of the engine some air always passes through such aperture. Thus the "air coming through the aperture 42 agitates the oil in the part 34 and then again comes into contact with more air as it moves upwardly through some of the oil which is precipitated downwardly by the part 34.

As the stream of air enters the filtering medium, its velocity is decreased due to the Large cross sectional area, with the result that the oil which is carried into the filtering medium is condensed, so to speak, or trapped in the filtering medium, allowing the clean air to pass out through the fixture l2. This trapped oil may then fiow back into the sump through the portion B, this portion being out of the direct line of travel of the air and representing a quiescent portion. Fig. 2 represents how the oil drains back into the sump through the quiescent space 50. Thus it will be seen that the oil moves 85.

in a cyclic path, entering one portion of the filtering medium and then draining back into the sump. The area B is of relatively generous proportions to give an eflicient flow of oil back into the sump. The angular disposition of the screen 22 provides for some gravity action in this respect. Accordingly, the dust particles are washed through and out of the filtering medium and return to the sump, where they collect as sediment.

It may be here said that when the engine is idling and air is being drawn through the aperture 42, the medium is thoroughly oil-wetted due to the previous operations at higher speed, so that the air used at idling speed is cleansed by the oil-soaked medium and the oil drains back into the sump in the manner just described.

The action 01 the oil varies with engine speed. The illustration of Fig. 2 is designed to illustrate the oil action in the U-shaped passageway 65 at relatively low engine speed, or under a light load. It will be noted that the oil does not spray into the passageway but that there is a. considerable body of oil maintained therein since the inlet port 40 provides for a considerable fiow of oil into the passageway. As the speed of the engine increases the rate oi! flow of the air increases, with the result that the body of oil maintained in the U-shaped passageway decreases. This means that more oil is being carried into the filtering medium.

One problem in an air cleaner of this kind is to provide acleaner which will efilciently wash the air at low speeds as well as high speeds, and yet one in which the relatively great amount of oil carried along with the air at high speeds will not pass through the filtering medium and into the engine. Accordingly, the construction is such as to provide for quite a-substantial amount of oil entering the passageway at low engine speeds,

while at the same time to prevent the entrance of too much oil into the passageway at high speeds. In order, therefore, to keep the size of the unit within commercial limits, the port 40 is somewhat constricted so as to place a reasonable limit upon the oil entering the same at high speeds, considering also that in the specific structure shown herein the passageway members 30 and 35 are not sealed against the side walls of the casing. In connection with the statement above that this is done to keep the device within commercial size limits, it may be stated that whether or not excess oil is drawn into the engine at high speeds depends upon the length or size of the filtering medium, because a large or longer filtering medium may trap more oil. Accordingly, there is a co-relation between the oil fiow ports or apertures into the U-shaped passageway and the size of the filtering medium.

In use it is only necessary to remove the sump and clean the sediment out from time to time. As the sediment collects the liquid level is raised, and if the sediment is not cleaned out the liquid level will raise and may overflow through the joint between the'portions l and 2 of the casing.

The cleaner has been found to have a very high efiiciency and is especially adapted for use on tractors, trucks or other commercial vehicles or for stationary engines operating under dusty conditions, although, of course, the same may be used in passenger vehicles.

While the air passageway shown herein has one arm of the U relatively short, it has been convenient to refer to the passageway as being U- shape, and this term is used in some of the claims.

The term is used in the broad sense designed to describe an air passageway extending downwardly into and then upwardly out of a body of liquid. The cleaning liquid has been generally referred to as oil as this is the preferred liquid, although, of course, other liquids may be employed. Where in the claims, reference is made to a port or aperture in the submerged portion of the air passageway, this is intended to cover an arrangement where the liquidflows into the passageway through clearance between the casing walls and the passageway members or other equivalent arrangement.

I claim:

1. In an air cleaner, a casing having a liquid sump and an air inlet in advance of said sump, a wall member of an air passageway curving from said inlet into and out of said liquid sump, said member having an, aperture therein to admit liquid, a. curved baiiie on the rear of said member, a filter medium over said member and said baflie, and said casing having an outlet beyond said filter medium, whereby incoming air is guided by said bailie in a manner causing said air to deliver liquid to said filter medium.

2. An air cleaner comprising a chamber having in its upper portion an air filtering mass presenting a multiplicity of interstices, said chamber being adapted to contain a quantity of liquid, the

level of which is-spacedbelow the filtering body, said chamber having an air inlet between the liquid level and filtering body, and an air outlet above the filtering body, means comprising walls forming an air passageway generally of U shape with the bight portion of the U positioned below the liquid level, said passageway opening at a point between the liquid level and the filtering mass, the'walls forming the air passageway having one or more apertures therein located substan tially at the bight portion of the U and below the liquid level, and a partition member extending from the said open end of the passageway substantially to the said filtering body serving to direct flow of air into a portion only of said filtering body 5 and to form a passageway from another portion of the filtering body to the part of the casing containing the liquid.

3. An air filter comprising a casing having an air filtering medium in its upper portion and 10 adapted to contain liquid in its lower portion, means providing a U shaped air passageway with one leg of the U opening to the atmosphere through the wall of the chamber between the liquid level and the filtering body, the other leg l5 of the U opening substantially upwardly toward the filtering body but spaced therefrom, a partition member extending upwardly from the outside portion of the last mentioned leg of the U substantially to the filtering body, said partition member being spaced from the adjacent wall of the chamber, the bight portion of the U shaped passageway being positioned below the normal liquid level, and said bight portion having one or more apertures therein located therein for the 25 flow of oil into the passageway.

4. An air cleaner comprising a chamber having an air filtering body in its upper portion and adapted to contain a liquid in its lower portion, means for providing a passageway generally of -U shape opening to the atmosphere through an aperture in the casing and said passageway extending below the liquid level in the casing and having one end opening within the casing between the liquid level and the air filtering body, said casing being adapted to be connected to a source of suction above the filtering body whereby air may be drawn through the passageway and upwardly through the filtering body, the normal level of liquid being above the inside wall of the u shaped passageway, a wall of said passageway having an aperture thereinlocated below the liquid level whereby the liquid may close the passageway, said means forming'the passageway having an aperopening within the casing between the liquid level and the air filtering body, said casing being adapted to be connected to a source of suction above the filtering body whereby air may be drawn through the passageway and filtering body, the normal level of liquid being above the inside wall of the U shaped passageway, said passageway having an aperture therein located below the liquid level whereby the liquid may close the passageway, said means forming the passageway having an aperture therein for the passageway of air out of the passageway into the space defined by the inside walls of the U shaped passageway, and a partition member extending from the open end of the passageway within the chamber substantially to the filtering body for directing the air passing therethrough to a portion only of the filtering body. 6. An air cleaner comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a source of suction having a filtering body near its upper end and adapted to contain a body of liquid in its lower portion, a generally U shaped passageway for air opening at one end to the atmosphere and opening at its other end to the space between the liquid level and filtering body, said passageway extending below the liquid level and having an aperture therein whereby the liquid may fill the passageway, said passageway having one or more apertures therein having a relatively small cross dimensional area as compared to that of the passageway and located between the end of the passageway opening to the atmosphere and the portion of the passageway which is submerged in the liquid, said aperture or apertures being located in close proximity to the level of the liquid between the arms of the U shaped passageway whereby air passing therethrough may have contact with the liquid.

7. An air cleaner comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a source of suction having a filtering body near its upper end and adapted to contain a body of liquid in its lower portion, a generally U shaped passageway for air opening at one end to the atmosphere and opening at its other end to the space between the liquid level and filtering body with its bight portion submerged in the liquid and having an aperture therein below the liquid level, said passageway having one or more apertures therein having a relatively small cross dimensional area as compared to that of the passageway and located between the end of the passageway opening to the atmosphere and the bight portion of the passageway which is submerged in the liquid, said aperture or apertures being located above and in close proximity to the level of the liquid between the arms of the U shaped passageway whereby air passing therethrough may have contact with the liquid, and a partition member serving to divide the space between the filtering body and the liquid level whereby a portion .of the filtering body overlies a section of the space through which the air passes as drawn from the passageway and whereby another portion of the filtering body overlies a section of the space which is over the liquid in the bottom portion of the casing.

8. An air. cleaner comprising a casing, a filter-,

ing body near its upper end, said casing being adapted to contain a body of liquid in its lower portion and said casing being adapted to be connected, above the filtering body, to a source for creating a depression above the filtering body, an air conduit opening to the atmosphere and having a portion submerged in the liquid and opening into a space, within the casing, between the liquid level and the filtering body, whereby, upon the creation of a depression, air may flow through the conduit, said space and filtering body, said conduit having an aperture in its submerged portion through which liquid flows into the conduit and normally seals the conduit, the arrangement being such that liquid in the conduit is carried out of the conduit by a current of air passing therethrough with some of the liquid entering the filtering body, said conduit having a port in its wall in advance of the submerged portion, through which air may move directly from the conduit into the said space and through the filtering body, and means for deflecting some of the liquid which is carried out of the conduit by the current of air passing therethrough into the current of air passing directly into the space through said port.

9. An air cleaner, comprising a casing adapted to contain a body of oil in its lower portion and to be connected to a source of suction at its upper portion, an air filtering body in the upper portion located above the oil level to provide a space, an air passageway opening to the atmosphere and having a portion submerged in the oil, and opening into the space, and having a partitioning part which extends through the space into substantial contact with the lower portion of the filtering body to divide the space into a part for the air stream and into a quiescent part, said. partitioning part being located so that the cross sectional area of the quiescent part substantially corresponds to the cross sectional area of the air passageway, the submerged portion of the passageway having one or more ports therein for the flow of oil into the passageway, whereby the air 15 stream passing therethrough churns the oil and carries some of the same into the filtering body, the oil being caught thereby and draining back into the body of oil through said quiescent portion.

10. An air cleaner, comprising a casing adapted to have a body of oil in its lower portion and to be connected to a source of suction at its upper portion, an air passageway having one end opening to the atmosphere, having a portion sub- 25 merged in the oil, and opening into the casing above the oil level, the submerged portion having oil flow ports whereby the oil may flow into the passageway, an air filtering body in the casing above the passageway, the passageway including 30 a partition member which divides the space between the liquid level and the filtering body into a part for air fiow and a quiescent part, whereby the air stream in the passageway may pick up some of the oil and carry the same into the por- 35 tion of the filtering body on one side of the partition, and a screen for supporting the filtering body disposed at an angle to the horizontal and slanting downwardly toward the quiescent part, the quiescent part permitting oil trapped by thefiltering body to drain back into the body of oil,

and the inclination of the supporting screen providing for a gravity action of the returning oil through the portion of the filtering body above the quiescent part.

11. An air cleaner, comprising a casing adapted to contain oil in its lower portion, a filtering body located in the upper portion, there being a space between the oil level and the filtering body, a pair of cooperating generally U-shaped 50 sheet metal members extending across the easing and secured thereto and defining, together with opposite walls of the casing, a U-shaped air passageway, the casing having an openirg therein connecting into one end of the passageway, 55 the bight portion of the passageway being submerged in the oil and having one or more ports for the flow of oil thereinto, the other end of the passageway opening into said space.

12. An air cleaner comprising a casing adapted to contain a body of liquid, 3, filtering body in the casing positioned above the liquid level to provide a space, means for connecting the casing above the filtering body to a source of suction, an air passageway comprising walls opening to the atmosphere and opening into said space in the casing, one of said walls of the passageway extending below the liquid level and having one or more apertures therein for the flow of liquid into the passageway whereby air moving through the passageway may entrap some of the oil and carry the same into the filtering body, and partition means dividing said space into a zone for the fiow of air therethrough and into a quiescent zone, whereby portions of the filtering body over- 76 lie said zones, and the vertical dimensions of the portions of the filtering body overlying said zones being substantially the same. i

13. An air cleaner comprising a casing adapted to contain a body of liquid, a filtering body in a the casing positioned above the liquid level to provide a space, means for connecting the casing above the filterirg body to a source of suction, an air' passageway comprising walls opening to the atmosphere and opening into said space in the casing,'one of said walls of the passageway extending below the liquid level and having one or more apertures therein for the flow of liquid into the passageway, whereby air moving through the passageway may entrap some of the liquid and carry the same into the filtering body, and partition means in said space terminating substantially flush with the lower side of the filtering body for dividing ofi a quiescent zone for the return of liquid therethrough from the filtering body to a body of liquid in the casing.-

14. An air cleaner comprising a casing adapted to contain a body of liquid, a filtering body in the casing positioned above the liquid level to provide a space, means for connecting the casing above the filtering body to a source of suction, an air passageway comprising walls opening to the atmosphere and opening into said space in the casing, one of said walls of the passageway extending belowthe liquid level and having one or'more apertures therein for the flow of liquid into the passageway whereby air moving through the passageway may entrap some of the liquid and carry the same into the filtering body, and

partition means extending from one end of the passageway through said space and terminating substantially at the lower boundary of the filtering body to divide oil a quiescent zone over which 5 liquid to provide a space, means for connecting the casing above the filtering body to a source of suction, a passageway comprising walls opening to the atmosphere and opening into said space for the fiow of air therethrough, one wall of the passageway extending below the level of the liquid and having one or more apertures therein for the flow of liquid into the passageway, said wall extending upwardly through said space with a substantially reverse curve formation, and terminating substantially fiush with the lower boundary of the filtering medium, said reversely curved portion dividing the space into a zone for the flow of air therethrough and into a quiescent zone for the fiow of liquid from the filtering body back to the body of liquid in the bottom of the casing.

HERMAN B. ANGLEMYER. 

